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Richard W. Riley Collection

Greenville, South Carolina, native Richard Wilson “Dick” Riley served in the South Carolina House and Senate from 1963 to 1977 before his election as governor, serving  two consecutive terms, from 1979 to 1987.  He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to join his cabinet as U.S. Secretary of Education, a post Riley held from 1993 to 2001.

Richard W. Riley (b. 1933)

Papers, c. 1898 - 2017, 138 ft.

Dick Riley was the first modern governor of South Carolina to serve two consecutive terms, from 1979 to 1987.

His signature effort as governor, improving public education, led to his appointment as the sixth United States Secretary of Education, serving the longest term of any Secretary, from 1993 to 2001. Before his governorship, Riley served in the South Carolina House and Senate from 1963 to 1977. 

The Richard W. Riley Collection documents a lifelong passion for public service, advocacy for education, and commitment to improved quality of life for constituents at the local, state and national levels.

Collection Finding Aid

 


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